5 Tips for Leading in Uncertain Times

One of the hardest leadership challenges is leading in uncertain times.

Here are five tips that I aim to follow when taking on this challenge:

• – Tell people what you know.
  In uncertain times people need information, without information, this can lead to anxiety and stress, neither of which is of benefit to them or to the leader.

• – Tell them what you don’t know.
  Be honest, if you don’t know something tell them, otherwise people will think you are withholding information, or worse still they may hold back something they know, that you don’t.

• – Don’t bullshit, people can spot bullshit a mile away.

• – Explain your plan
  As a leader, it is expected that you will come up with a plan.
  Tell people what your plan is, and explain why you are making the decisions you are making.
  If they are logical you will get buy-in, if not you will get questions.
  Transparency breeds trust and in uncertain times, trust is a great commodity to have.

• – Don’t be afraid to ask for input.
  As leaders, we are not expected to have all the answers or all the ideas, but we are expected to come up with the best plan, based on all of the information available. Without asking for input, we potentially won’t have all the available information, and consequently, we might not have the best plan.

These simple tips may help you come through this difficult challenge more easily.

What about you, what are your tips for dealing with uncertainty?

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